It Looks Like the Sony FX5 Is Delayed Again
A few weeks ago, it looked like the Sony FX5 might start shipping by the end of this month. It seems the release date may have slipped a little bit again.
As CineD noticed, some of Sony’s European stores, including in Germany and France now list the Sony FX5 as shipping on November 16, a month after the October 15 ship date currently listed by American retailer, Adorama. B&H no longer lists a release date, although it has previously noted dates that have since come and gone.
CineD adds that these new Sony Europe store listings include no special note explaining why the date has seemingly shifted yet again.
However, as PetaPixel reported last week, the FX5’s delay may be due to quality control issues with the camera’s rear LCD.
Since the FX5’s reveal in July, when Sony said the camera would begin shipping in mid-August, there has been rampant speculation that Sony was having production problems.
There was an earthquake in late July that temporarily affected Sony’s sensor manufacturing, although operations have been back up and running since August 21.
Sony did ship some FX5 units to different markets before the official delay, though, and multiple owners have reported problems with the rear LCD, including parts becoming separated and exposing some internal electronics. While Sony has not yet officially given any reasons for the FX5 delay, this display issue seems like the most likely culprit right now.
“So from my own experience, this does not look like a single isolated unit with a manufacturing defect,” Reddit user Vixelo wrote. “We are talking about a brand-new professional cinema camera where the LCD assembly can shift during normal use and partially expose the inside of the camera. I obviously can’t say how widespread the issue is beyond the units I have personally seen, but the fact that all three of my cameras plus the rental units I’ve checked show the same behavior is concerning.”
Sony will undoubtedly address any issues that current FX5 owners have, and everyone else will need to continue waiting for the camera to actually ship. With Sony’s updated listings in Germany and France, anyone who was hoping for a late October release has cause to dampen their expectations.
It’s a real shame that the FX5 is having such a rocky launch, as the camera is truly excellent and a very important camera for Sony’s cinema lineup.
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